Our Directors
Samil SEN (Professor), Co-Founder, Petroleum Geologist -Data Scientist
ORCID ID=https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3086-9626
Employment History
| NAME & ADDRESS OF EMPLOYER | JOP TITLE | TIME |
| University of Houston | RESEARCH SCHOLAR | 2025- |
| SHALESYS ENERGY COMPANY, US AND TURKEY | DATA SCIENTIST | 2019-2024 |
| ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY, TURKEY | PROFESSOR | 2022- 2024 |
| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, US | SHORT-TERM SCHOLOR | 2019 – 2019 |
| KEELE UNIVERSITY, UK | VISITING PROFESSOR | 2017-2017 |
| VERMILION ENERGY, CANADA | CONSULTANT | 2013-2014 |
| ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY, TURKEY | ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR | 2013- 2022 |
| BERGEN UNIVERSTY, NORWAY | POSTDOC | 2013-2013 |
| ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY, TURKEY | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR | 2003- 2013 |
| TURKISH PETROLEUM, TURKEY | PROJECT MANEGER | 2002-2012 |
| ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY- TURKISH PETROLEUM, TURKEY | PH.D. THESIS | 1996-2001 |
| ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY, TURKEY | RESEARCH ASSISTANT | 1992- 2003 |
| ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY, TURKEY | UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION | 1987-1991 |
Skills
-Data science, big data, machine learning, cloud computing, app development, interactive 3D-4D data visualization
-Petroleum geology, organic geochemistry, basin modeling, facies analysis, fluid flow modeling.
-Shale oil-gas assessment, unconventional resource assessment, coal geology, energy minerals assessment, CO2 storage.
-Oil-gas, coal, energy resources licensing (application and pending approval).
-Fracture prediction, brittleness index prediction, oil saturation prediction, porosity prediction, API gravity prediction.
-Earthquake magnitude prediction, b-values prediction, DAS data analytics, earthquake side monitoring with data visualization, CO2 storage side monitoring with data visualization.
Programing Language, Libraries, Platforms, Clouds, and Softwares
-Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, pandas etc.
-Python, Jupyter Notebook, Matplotlib, widget`, `Matplotlib.pyplot`, Plotly, Geopandas, etc.
-Colab, Anaconda, Conda
– AWS, Unix, Ubuntu, Githup, Xcode, Vscode, Codemagic, Flutter, Flask
-Petrel, Petromod
Machine Learning Models
– TOC and mineralogy prediction of shales using deep learning (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
– Porosity prediction of shales using deep learning (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
– Fluid oil and gas volume prediction of shales using deep learning (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
– Brittleness Index prediction of shales using deep learning (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
– Fracture density prediction and recognition of shales using deep learning (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
– Adsorption capacity prediction of shales using deep learning (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
– Oil API gravity classification of shales using deep learning (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
– Interactive 3D-4D data visualization (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Matplotlib, widget`, `Matplotlib.pyplot`, Plotly, Geopandas, etc.)
– Predicting earthquake maximum magnitude for next 60 day period (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Keras, TensorFlow, etc.)
Certificates
| Fundementals of Deep Learning | NVIDIA DLI |
| IOS Devoloper | Apple |
| Petrel Fundementals, Petrel Geology | Schlumberger, Next |
SCI/SCI-E Papers
Şen, Ş. 2025, Shale porosity prediction model from Machine Learning and its application to the Eagle Ford, Niobrara and Dadaş Shales, Submitted.
Şen, Ş. 2025, Predicting Future Maximum Earthquake Magnitudes for Next 100- Day Period for the Istanbul Seismic Gap, Submitted.
Şen, Ş. S. Sağlam, O. Musazade, E. Kaygusuz, 2025. Predicting the brittleness index of the Silurian Hot Shales of the northern Arabian Plate with machine learning, Submitted.
Şen, Ş., 2022. Prediction of fluid oil and gas volumes of shales with a deep learning model and its application to the Bakken and Marcellus shales, *Scientific Reports*, vol. 12, no. 1.
Şen, Ş., 2022. Producible fluid oil saturations of the Upper Cretaceous unconventional carbonate plays, northern Arabian plate, *AAPG Bulletin*, vol. 106, no. 4, pp. 739-758.
Şen, Ş., Kozlu, H., 2020. Impact of maturity on producible shale oil volumes in the Silurian (Llandovery) Hot Shales of the Northern Arabian Continent, SE Turkey, *AAPG Bulletin*, vol. 104, pp. 507-524.
Şen, Ş., 2020. Natural fracture, cleat, and strong adsorption impact on low oil and condensate retention in the Carboniferous shales and coals of the western Black Sea Basin of Turkey, *AAPG Bulletin*, vol. 104, pp. 2125-2143.
Şen, Ş., 2018. Source rock assessment of the Lower Cretaceous Ulus Formation of NW Turkey: Implication to petroleum exploration, *Petroleum Science and Technology*, vol. 36, no. 22, pp. 1891-1897.
Şen, Ş., 2017a. Crude oil and condensate in the Ordovician-Silurian formations of the Eastern European The Western Black Sea Basin, *Petroleum Science and Technology*, vol. 35, pp. 1437-1444.
Şen, Ş., 2017b. Unconventional oil and gas system of the Upper Jurassic Akkuyu Formation in the Tauride Belt, Eastern Mediterranean, *Petroleum Science and Technology*, vol. 35, pp. 896-902.
Şen, Ş., Yıllar, S., 2016. Nature, genesis, and significance of the Gazikoy and Kesan Formations (Thrace Basin, Turkey): Eocene turbidites and olistostromes formed on an active Tethyan margin, *Journal of Geology*, vol. 124, pp. 463-479.
Şen, Ş., 2014. A petroleum source rock assessment of the Middle Oligocene-Lower Miocene coal bearing deltaic sediments in NW Turkey, *Energy Sources Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects*, vol. 36, pp. 843-850.
Şen, Ş., 2013. New evidences for the formation of and for petroleum exploration in the fold-thrust zones of the Central Black Sea Basin of Turkey, *AAPG Bulletin*, vol. 97, no. 3, pp. 465-485.
Şen, Ş., 2011. Petroleum source rock assessment of the southwestern Thrace Basin, NW Turkey, *Energy Sources Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects*, vol. 33, pp. 1005-1017. DOI: 10.1080/15567036.2010.485177.
Şen, Ş., Yıllar, S., 2009. The Korudağ Anticlinorium in the south Thrace Basin, Northwest Turkey: A super giant petroleum trap complex? *AAPG Bulletin*, vol. 93, no. 3, pp. 357-377. DOI: 10.1306/09290808072.
Şen, Ş., Yıllar, S., Kerey, İ.E., 2009. Allochthonous blocks misidentified as basement: Implication for petroleum exploration in the SW Thrace Basin (Turkey), *Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering*, vol. 64, pp. 55-66. DOI: 10.1016/j.petrol.2008.12.004.
Şen, Ş., Babalı, T., 2007. Security concerns in the Middle East for oil supply: Problems and solutions, *Energy Policy*, vol. 35, pp. 1517-1524. DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2006.05.001.
Şen, Ş., 2007. A fault zone cause of large amplification and damage in Avcılar (west of Istanbul) during 1999 Izmit earthquake, *Natural Hazards*, vol. 43, pp. 351-363. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-007-9122-5.
Selected Conference Papers
Şen, Ş., et al., 2024. Deep Learning based prediction of the producible fluid oil saturations of the Upper Cretaceous carbonates, northern Arabian Plate, *International Meeting for Applied Geosciences and Energy (IMAGE 2024)*, Houston, TX, USA. [https://www.imageevent.org](https://www.imageevent.org)
Şen, Ş., 2021. Determination of a Deep Learning-Based Model for Shale Porosity Prediction Using World Scale Data Set, *TUBA World Conference on Energy Science and Technology*.
Şen, Ş., 2016a. Upper Cretaceous Organic Rich Carbonate Mudstones of the Northern Arabian Platform (Turkey): Their In-Situ Oil Volumes, *Unconventional Plays Workshop*, Dubai, UAE, 21-23 November, pp. 34-34.
Şen, Ş., 2016b. The Paleozoic Unconventional Oil and Gas Assessment of the Western Black Sea Basin of Turkey, *AAPG Europe Region Meeting*, Bucharest, Romania, 19-20 May, pp. 149-149.
Şen, Ş., 2014. Shale Oil Assessment of the Jurassic-Cretaceous Organic Matter Rich Carbonates in the Taurus and Arabian Platform in Turkey, *AAPG ICE*, Istanbul, Turkey, 14-17 September, pp. 1-1.
Şen, Ş., 2013. Shale Gas Assessment of the Carboniferous Prodeltaic Shales of the Western Black Sea Basin, *Unconventional Resources Technology Conference*, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Şen, Ş., 2011. Petroleum Source Rock Assessment of the Middle Oligocene-Lower Miocene Coal Bearing Deltaic Sediments in NW Turkey, *AAPG Annual Congress*, Houston, Texas, USA.
Şen, Ş., 2012a. The Silurian Shale Gas Potential of Turkey, *AAPG Middle East Shale Gas Workshop*, Muscat, Oman.
Şen, Ş., 2011. Petroleum Prospects in the Fold-Thrust Zones of the Sinop-Samsun Basin, Central Black Sea Continental Margin of Turkey, *AAPG Meeting*, Milan, Italy.
Şen, Ş., 2009. Evidence for an Upper Miocene Activity of the North Anatolian Fault from Large Scale Load Structures in the Lacustrine-Lagoonal Sediments of the Region of İstanbul, *DRT Meeting*, Liverpool, UK.
Şen, Ş., Yıllar, S., 2008. Is the Largest Potential Petroleum Trap of the World in NW Turkey? The Korudağ Anticlinorium in the South Thrace Basin, *AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition*, Texas, USA, vol. 17, p. 184.
Motivation
My interest in unconventional (shale oil and gas) exploration began in 2008 at the AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition (ACE) in San Antonio, where the shale revolution was a central topic of discussion among geologists. Inspired by these discussions, I began to focus my career on unconventional exploration.
From 2012 to 2013, I worked as a consultant for Vermilion Energy (Canada), evaluating the unconventional potential of the Silurian hot shales of the northern Arabian Plate in southeast Turkey and the western Black Sea in northwest Turkey.
In 2013 and 2017, I further developed my expertise in unconventional exploration while working as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Visiting Professor at Keele University and the University of Bergen, respectively. Between 2014 and 2017, I conducted two major projects assessing the Silurian hot shales and Jurassic–Cretaceous carbonate mudstones, both supported by Turkish Petroleum.
During my short-term scholar visit to the University of Arizona in 2019, I focused on shale fracture density prediction, brittleness index prediction, and mineralogy prediction using deep learning techniques with Python, Jupyter Notebook, and TensorFlow. From 2019 to 2024, I worked with Shalesys Energy Company on TOC prediction, S1 prediction, oil API gravity classification, and related topics.
Following the devastating 2023 Mw 7.8 and Mw 7.6 earthquake doublet in Southeast Turkey, I have focused on earthquake magnitude prediction and interactive 3D and 4D earthquake data visualization. My work leverages tools such as Python, Jupyter Notebook, Matplotlib, Ipympl, %matplotlib widget, matplotlib.pyplot, mpl_toolkits.mplot3d, GeoPandas, and Plotly. Since 2024, I have also been actively involved in application development, including iOS app development, platform integration, cloud computing, and programming. Currently, I am working on the deployment of oil, gas, and CCS models using Artificial Intelligence at the University of Houston.
Guzel Barslan, Co-Founder, President, Architect
Guzel Barslan is an achitecth who is constructed many high level buildings He is also co-founder of the Lova Construction, Barslan Construction and Lova Hotel
Berat Barslan, Co-Founder, CEO, Petroleum Geologist
Major interest of Berat Barslan is shale oil gas exploration and production based on machine learning. He is also co-founder of the Lova Construction, Barslan Construction and Lova Hotel
Michael M. Altunbay (PhD), Petroleum Engineer, Reservoir Engineer
He has worked for;
2019- 2023 Shalesys Enerji Company
2013 – 2019 PETRONAS Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2006- 2013 Baker Hughes Inc., Malaysia
1997 – 2006 Baker Atlas Wireline Services, Geosciences Group, Houston
1988 – 1996 Western Atlas – Core Laboratories, Dallas / Houston / Kuala Lumpur
Shalesys Energy Company 